Needed: One Window to the Stars
by mamapranayama
Summary: A little silly tag to 8x13 'Everyone Hates Hitler': Something about that telescope in the bunker is bothering Dean.


A/N: For strgazr04's prompt at the Batcave comment fic meme at LJ: _Sam, Dean and the AWESOME GIANT TELESCOPE in the back of the bunker. :)_

**Needed: One Window to the Stars**

Sam sat back from the table and stretched out the kink in his neck that had been residing there since that Nazi bastard shot him with a magical poison dart. Even now, two days later, it still smarted and was only made worse by his efforts to computerize the extensive card catalog in 'The Batcave', as Dean so lovingly called it. (And God help him, if Dean said 'To the Batcave!' or called him 'Robin' one more time, he just might throttle him.)

Sam checked his watch and was surprised to see that it was nearing 2 a.m. The overwhelming multitude of books and reference materials the place contained and the lack of windows made it far too easy for him to lose track of time. Deciding that he might as well get some sleep and pick up where he left off in the morning, Sam shut down his computer, stacked the cards he had already cataloged into a pile and picked them up before pushing back his chair and heading back to the filing cabinet to put them away.

After filing the cards away, Sam yawned widely and stretched his arms out, ready to turn in when a noise cut through the cavernous quiet, startling him into full alertness.

Again, another clanking noise and a muffled curse echoed across the walls, but recognizing the potty mouth that belonged to his brother, Sam's initial alarm turned into one part annoyance and one part curiosity.

Sighing, Sam headed toward the noise coming from the adjacent room housing the gigantic telescope that would make any astronomer envious.

"Dean?" Sam called from the doorway.

"What?"

"What are you doing in here? I thought you went to bed hours ago."

Dean came into view from the other side of the telescope, his eyes trained on the ceiling as he replied, "Couldn't sleep."

A little concerned, Sam asked, "Something wrong?"

"Nah …" Dean shook his head, dragging out his denial, but seemed to be distracted by the huge astronomical instrument and Sam wasn't convinced that something wasn't bothering his brother.

"Ya sure?"

Dean was silent for a beat, as if contemplating whether or to tell Sam what was bugging him, but half of a second later, he was opening his mouth and pouring out his confusion, pacing back and forth as he talked.

"We're in an underground bunker, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah … I kinda noticed." Sam replied flatly, wondering where Dean was going with all of this.

"And there's a ginormous telescope down here." Dean stated, pointing to it.

"Noticed that too." Sam nodded slowly. Maybe Dean was hitting the bottle again.

Dean rubbed his hands together, "So riddle me this, Alfred …"

Sam sighed tiredly. "Dean, _please_ … enough with the Batman references …"

Dean ignored Sam's pleas, continuing on, "If the Batcave is underground, what use is there in having the Hubble down here when there isn't even a window to see the stars from?"

Sam was running a weary hand through his hair when Dean's question stopped him short. He'd been so caught up in the books and knowledge stored in their new-found lair, that he hadn't really given the telescope that much thought, but now that Dean mentioned it, he had to wonder about that too.

Dean kept talking, almost like he was thinking out loud, "I mean … it's not exactly portable and I've searched this room from top to bottom and I didn't find any secret levers or buttons that'll open any panels in the ceiling or raise this thing topside or anything … I just don't get it. How the hell did they use this thing?"

How _did_ they get this thing to work? Checking the ceiling out for himself and failing to see any seams that might allow it to open up to the sky, he was now just as curious as Dean. Maybe there was a book or an operator's manual somewhere in the library …

"Huh …" Sam uttered, crossing his arms over his chest, joining Dean's gaze at what he now understood was a rather useless device.

The End_  
_


End file.
